Cooran - Development Application

Both the WHO and the Australian Standard make repeated references to “non-
thermal” mechanisms for risk of harm, and science relating to possible non-
thermal effects have been extensively considered in the formulation and review
of the Australian Safety Standard. The Safety Standard itself states:

         “The document goes well beyond simply being a technical Standard. The working group of the
         Radiation Health Committee that drafted the document put an immense amount of work into
         reviewing the scientific literature. Annexes to the Standard include a summary of the review of
         epidemiological studies of exposure to RF and human health and research into bio-effects at lower
         levels of exposure.”14


Further, ARPANSA also constantly evaluates emerging science, publishing an
EMR Literature Survey which is updated monthly, and is available on their
website.15


7.12.3 IARC Class 2B Classification

In May 2011, the WHO listed radiofrequency energy as a “Class 2B Possible
Carconigen”. Importantly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) / International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) joint statement regarding the Class 2B
listing, issued on 31 May 2011, states explicitly in its’ opening paragraph that
the listing relates to hand-held mobile phone use:

         “The WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified radiofrequency
         electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk
         for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use.”16

The IARC statement goes on to clarify that three distinct types of exposure were
considered: (1) occupational (exposures to radar and to microwaves); (2)
environmental (exposures associated with transmission of signals for radio,
television and wireless telecommunication such as the fixed wireless network,
paging networks etc); and (3) personal exposures (associated with the use of
wireless telephones).

The IARC specified that they found “limited” evidence that suggested wireless
phone use may result in gliomas and acoustic neuromas, but “inadequate
evidence” that occupational or environmental exposures resulted in a risk to
health.

The WHO consequently issued specific precautionary advice regarding the use
of hand-held mobile devices next to the head, but did not advise the need for
any additional precaution for environmental exposures. The WHO explicitly
states:



14
   www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/rps/rps3.pdf
15
   http://www.arpansa.gov.au/RadiationProtection/EMR/literature/index.cfm
16
   www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf

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